Council cabinet member for communities, Gill Heath said standards would not drop when services were out-sourced.

She said: "The decision was taken in July 2017 that we would continue to protect the public by providing the same services necessary for its welfare, but by commissioning those services rather than providing them in-house, we could deliver the same high standard without incurring the costs of operating a laboratory.

"As a result the laboratory will close at the end of this month and we will continue to provide public safety monitoring and testing without interruption."

The council is one of just six authorities to run its own laboratory.

A recent report showed current spending levels would result in a record £35 million budget shortfall by the end of the year.